


Grounded

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: McHanzo [13]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Established Relationship, Friendship/Love, M/M, Missions Gone Wrong, Protectiveness, Role Reversal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-08-17 05:34:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16510316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: McCree is less than happy when the bounty on his head means that he's banned from a mission, leaving Hanzo forced to take on an offensive role down on the ground...and not even the archer's promise to return safely is enough to stop him from taking matters into his own hands.





	Grounded

“Absolutely not!” McCree’s low growl immediately silences the room, and Hanzo is not the only to stare askance at his partner. It’s not the first time the sharpshooter has spoken out during a briefing, in fact he tends to be one of the most outspoken, but it’s the first time he’s done so forcefully, anger obvious in his voice and in the fist that he’s just slammed down on the desk as he leans in to glare at Winston. “Hanzo is a sniper, putting him on the ground is a stupid risk! An unnecessary one.”

“McCree…”

“No,” McCree cuts Winston off, narrowing his eyes at the Scientist. “I won’t let you put him in danger for a measly shipment of weapons.” Rationally he knows that it doesn’t matter how big the shipment is, at this point they need to do everything they can to stop Talon making any progress, but not at the price of putting Hanzo in unnecessary danger and having a sniper running around the payload is just that in his mind. He feels a gentle hand on his arm after a long moment of silence and he turns to find that Hanzo has slid into the seat next to him and is now staring at him with worried eyes, although his expression is as composed as always.

“Jesse…”

“I know you won’t argue against it,” McCree’s tone is softer now, even though he’s irritated with Hanzo too…not because of the decision to put him on the payload, but because his partner is still so focused on proving his worth to Overwatch and earning forgiveness that he won’t argue against Winston, even if he actually disagrees with him and he had seen the flicker of alarm when Winston had first mentioned having him on the ground. “But, I will.” _I can’t lose you_ , he won’t say it aloud now in the briefing room with Winston, Athena and the others watching them, but he knows that it shows in his eyes when Hanzo sighs and offers him a rare smile.

“I…”

“McCree, it’s not like I like it any better than you do.” Hanzo is cut off by Winston’s voice, and they both turn to find him studying them with an understanding expression before his eyes harden as he tilts his head up to Athena’s projection, and in particular the worrying amount of wanted posters featuring McCree’s face that have popped up in the area. It wasn’t a new tactic by any means, but this time they didn’t have the numbers to work around it. “But it’s simply too dangerous to have you on the ground there, and we don’t have enough agents unless we send Hanzo in as well.”

“But…” McCree’s protest dies as he feels Hanzo’s fingers tightening on his arm, catching the sympathetic glimpses from the others and with a sigh he rests his hand on top of Hanzo’s for a moment before rising to his feet. “Fine, if I’m not needed…” He doesn’t wait for a response before turning and stalking from the room, the door clicking shut behind him and leaving a tense silence in his wake and Hanzo rubs a hand over his face before looking at Winston.

“Is there anything else we need to discuss?”

“I’ll catch you up in the morning,” Lena pipes up with a smile drawing his gaze, making a shooing movement towards the door and Hanzo glances at Winston for permission, relieved when it’s granted, and he murmurs an apology before rising to his feet and chasing after his partner.

**

   Hanzo hesitates for a moment outside of their quarters, not entirely sure what he’s going to find inside, the lack of noise from within giving him nothing to go on. His first stop had been the training rooms, and he had been surprised to find them all completely empty. Usually when something upset him to this extent, his partner would be in there taking out his frustration on the helpless training bots, something that both Winston and Athena had chided him for in the past. But not today, and Hanzo doesn’t know whether to take that as a sign that McCree is somewhat calmer than he thought, or if it means that his partner is closer to the edge that he’d thought. Sighing he reaches for the door panel, barely waiting for it to whoosh open before he’s slipping inside, only to come up short as he finds McCree set on the edge of the bed, head buried in his hands.

“Jesse,” he murmurs, closing the door behind him before stepping closer to the bed and coming to a halt when McCree lifts his head, staring at him with narrowed eyes. It’s been a while since he’s been faced with that expression. In fact, the last time had been when he had ‘forgotten’ that he was a sniper and rushed straight into the midst of a firefight after seeing McCree go down, the gunslinger hadn’t appreciated the fact that he’d got shot in the process of dragging him to safety. However, this time he hasn’t done anything wrong and so he straightens, returning the glare as he folds his arms. “It’s no use giving me that look Jesse McCree.”

   The stare off remains for another minute before McCree sighs, shoulders slumping in defeat, and Hanzo’s stance relaxes as well.

“Sorry…”

“Don’t apologize,” Hanzo orders as he closes the distance between, settling onto the bed beside McCree and nudging him gently. “Just tell me what’s got you so wound up about this mission?” It’s certainly not the first time they’ve been separated on a mission, and it’s not the first time either of them have had to switch roles for the sake of completing a mission, so he can’t understand what has McCree so on edge this time. “It’s not my first time on the ground, and…”

“I know you can fight in close range, I’ve seen it,” McCree cuts him off, already knowing what he was about to say and Hanzo feels his lips twitch. In the past it had annoyed the hell out of him, but now the familiarity is reassuring, and he leans against the younger man, silently encouraging him to continue when he can see him hesitating. “But…”

“You’re worried?”

“I’m terrified,” McCree corrects him softly and Hanzo stills. It is rare for either of them to confess to fear, usually its hidden beneath insults and bickering and crude jokes, but as he studies the gunslinger’s face all he can see is naked fear, and something in his chest shifts at the sight, it’s an expression he doesn’t want to see on McCree’s face and one that he has no idea how to remove. “Hanzo…I…if something happens to you just because I couldn’t go on a mission…” Ah, now it makes a little more sense and Hanzo’s expression softens as he reaches out to grasp McCree’s hand, twining their fingers together and staring at them for a moment, trying to find the words to reassure his partner.

“I will be fine,” he murmurs eventually, lifting McCree’s hand so he can kiss it softly before lifting his head to meet tawny eyes with a slightly tremulous smile. “After all I have something to come back for now.” He can feel himself beginning to colour under the intense stare that meets his words, and he’s about to glance away when McCree moves, his hand coming up to cup his cheek, the metal cool against his flesh and then McCree is kissing him. It’s desperate and tender all at once, and Hanzo can’t help but melt into it, ingraining it into his memory as he does with every kiss because it’s another thing to fight for, another thing to come back to.

“Hanzo…” McCree’s voice trembles slightly as they part, resting their foreheads together and Hanzo hums encouragingly under his breath. “Just promise me that you’ll come back safe.”

“I promise.”

****

   It’s that promise that’s at the forefront of Hanzo’s mind as he hauls Tracer down behind the payload, leaning her back against the truck and scowling as her eyes flicker, barely clinging to consciousness and he moves to cover her when an explosion above them sends debris down on their position. Cursing he straightens, noting the blood that he can feel trickling down his face but dismissing it as he glances around taking stock of their situation, tightness curling in the pit of his stomach when he spies reinforcements coming down one of the sides-streets. If there had been any doubts about McCree’s poster being spread on purpose before, there weren’t now. They had nullified a potential threat before this had even started and the archer honestly had no idea how they were going to level the playing field, expression darkening as he checked his rapidly dwindling supply of arrows. _Just promise me that you’ll come home safe_ , Jesse’s voice echoes in his mid and he closes his eyes for a second.

“Easier said than done…” He mutters under his breath, but the promise gives him something to focus on, keeping the panic at bay and he straightens when Tracer groans, eyes flying open to find her trying and failing to get up. “Stay down, you’re in no condition to fight.”

“But…”

“At least let Lucio look at you first,” he amends, realising that it’s not practical to stop her fighting when she scowls at him. The odds are against them anyway, trying to keep her out of the fight is only going to endanger her more. “Stay here…” He doesn’t give her chance to answer, notching an arrow and stepping out into the open, letting fly the moment he sees the familiar talon uniform, there’s no time for him to notch another and he’s forced to drive the next arrow home with his bare hands, grimacing as blood splatters his front but giving himself no time to dwell on it. “Tracer needs you, I’ll hold them back,” he barks when he reaches the audio medic who had been desperately fighting to keep the Talon agents at bay whilst he got Tracer to safety, and Lucio nods, swiping sweat off his forehead as he sends a couple more pulses into the agents before scooting back.

“Give me as long as you can!”

“Understood.” Now that both his teammates are relatively sheltered he might be able to get away with a scatter arrow, and reaches for one, only to find himself being knocked to the ground just as his fingers close on the arrow. His head connects with the ground, dazing him and only years of training allow him to hold onto his bow. Not that it’s any use when he feels rough fingers closing on his neck, at once he begins to struggle, abandoning the bow when he realises there’s no room to use it as weapon right now and instead scrabbling at his attacker with bare hands. It’s no use, his mind is still struggling to catch up after the fall and he can’t get a purchase, fingers meeting material and sliding off without causing any damage and his vision is blurring, black spots dancing in front of his eyes as he fights to breathe, hands beginning to fall away as the world fades in and out around him.

_Jesse, I’m sorry…_

   He doesn’t register the sharp retort of a gunshot, or the fact that his assailant is slowly falling aside, too focused on the fact that he can suddenly breathe again, sucking in desperate breaths, coughing and hacking when his throat protests the action. It hurts, and he curls in on himself, eyes fluttering as the darkness is still threatening to swallow him and he tries blinking hard in an attempt to clear his vision. It takes a dangerously long time for him to focus on the present, taking in the bodies now covering the pavement around him and blinking in shock as he weakly pushes himself up just in time to see yet another agent falling, eyes narrowing at the sight of the perfect bullet wound between sightless eyes and he turns, wobbling slightly even as he manages to bring his bow up. A new threat? His vision is still blurry, and he backs up, feeling exposed at street level and he nearly leaps out of his skin when the communicator crackles to life.

_“Hanzo, are you all right?”_

   A slightly hysterical noise bubbles up when McCree’s voice fills the air, no trace of his usual drawl to be heard and for a moment all Hanzo can focus on the fact that he’s alive. That McCree is here, and that he’s going to be able to keep his promise after all. He can hear McCree repeating his question with increased urgency, and he’s vaguely aware of Lucio and Tracer emerging from their hiding spot and replying to the Cowboy, but when he finally gets his voice to work, it isn’t a reassurance that comes out, but rather a blurted…

“Winston is going to kill you…”

 _“I wasn’t on the ground and no one saw me.”_ McCree points out reasonably, but Hanzo can hear the wicked grin in his words. “ _He never said I couldn’t act as a sniper_ …”

“I’m fairly sure he’s not going to see it that way,” Tracer chimes in, waving Lucio off so that he can skate across to Hanzo, the soothing rhythm of his music already washing over the archer and easing the ache in his neck even as the healer urges him to sit down so he can examine him properly. “But I’m sure he’ll only lecture you for a few days…maybe a week or two…a month at most.”

_“Wonderful…is Hanzo all right?”_

“I’m fine,” Hanzo manages to croak, refusing to let the other two reply for him, feeling like he’s back on an even keel now that he can breathe more easily and with Jesse’s warm voice filling his ear and he manages a weary smile. “Thanks to you…”

_“I wasn’t letting you bow out on your promise and for the record I want it noted that I was right about this mission!”_


End file.
